Resurrected
by Wild Roses
Summary: Kuronue is resurrected to aid the tantei in a mission. However, as they uncover more of the truth...can they survive, or will they perish for mankind? (non-yaoiyuri)
1. Resurrected

'Thoughts' "Speech" Telepathic Communication  
  
His leathery black wings fold up neatly against his back like bits of rice paper as he comes to a light landing on a tree branch. No sound was made. Not even the leaves rustled as the man's violet orbs narrowed, shifting his weight slightly on the slender tree appendage. He was skilled, and could move freely in almost any tight or odd place without making a sound.  
  
Because Youkou Kurama did not partner with fools.  
  
He crouches lower, to sink and blend in with the tree's shifting shadows. His wide-brimmed hat shadowed his face, hiding his violet eyes and fair features. The top seemed to be ripped off, the edges were frayed, and his smooth black hair jutted out of it in a well-done ponytail. His calloused, slender fingers grip the rough branch, and he keeps his perfect balance without trouble as a gentle night wind sways the branches. The man was almost invisible, keeping absolutely still, his violet orbs fixated on the open window in front of him.  
  
He was looking at a very neat room. A room much too neat and clean for a 17-yr-old. The window seemed to be thrown open for a specific purpose, the man didn't know nor care why. In a Western-style bed lay a figure sleeping peacefully, his vivid red hair standing out starkly against the darkness. He was laying on his side, his back turned to the window. Lucky, too, or else his superior scent would have easily detected the man in the window.  
  
Suddenly the sleeping teen's head snaps downwards towards his feet. In an agonized groan, he stretches out flat on his back, his eyes not only shut tight in sleep, but also scrunched with pain. His arms were clutching his chest, and he suddenly lets out a loud yell.  
  
"Shuichi!" the man in the window hears the worried cry of a mother for her son, and his leathery black wings unfold, beating against gravity and lifting him gracefully out of anyone's range of vision.  
  
Shiori rushes into her son's room, her brown eyes wide with worry. She hadn't heard her son yell like that for so long! Nightmares seemed to plague him nightly, but shouts like that were rare. She bends down at his bedside, to meet his calm smile and bright emerald eyes, eyes that held too much wisdom for someone so young.  
  
"I'm alright, mother," he says softly, correctly reading the look in her eyes.  
  
"Oh, Shuichi, don't lie to me! You shouted in your sleep, now why are you having such nightmares?" Shiori sounded truly helpless, and it was driving her crazy! She couldn't change her dear Shuichi's dreams or protect him. That was what hit home the most. She couldn't protect her baby.  
  
"I'm not lying, mother. It's simply nightmares; I'm fine. Now, don't lose sleep over me, please, I'm perfectly alright," he says gently.  
  
"You're too mature for your own good, Shuichi," smiling, Shiori gives her son a once-over with her eyes before leaving, lingering before shutting the door.  
  
Kurama sighs and lays back. He had outright lied to his mother. Though his nightmares did him no physical harm, they tore at his mind, and he hated them. They were Youkou's memories haunting him, his own past coming back at night, when he was most vulnerable. True, some nights he was free of such nightmares, but they were in the minority. Kurama reaches up and rubs his temples, thanking the darkness that surrounded him, hiding his blood-drained face from the watchful eyes of his dear mother.  
  
The man comes to rest on the Minamino's roof, touching down lightly without a sound. His bare feet cling to the structure, his acute demonic hearing picking up everything going on inside the bedroom below. He heard the click of a door, and his wings unfold, carrying him to rest on Kurama's windowsill.  
  
Kurama sits bolt upright in his bed, emerald orbs slanted, glaring at the shadowed figure blocking his window.  
  
"Don't tell me you've forgotten, Kurama," the tones of the man were deep and harsh, holding a tone of...playfulness? Teasing? Kurama raises a crimson eyebrow and throws off his quilt, standing to meet the man.  
  
He'd been tricked once. He wouldn't be tricked again.  
  
The man leaps nimbly down from the sill, landing on the hardwood floor soundlessly. Amazing skill. Skill Kurama prized. The man folds his arms, an amused smirk playing at the corners of his mouth.  
  
"Kuronue..." Kurama mutters.  
  
The man smiles, chuckling lightly at his former partner.  
  
Kurama's hard emerald eyes grew wide, staring with amazement and suspicion. Any remaining color drained from his fine face as he distractedly runs a hand through his thick hair. He shakes his head slightly, and then glances at the man claiming to be his former partner. A partner he saw die with his own eyes, a death that haunts him to this day.  
  
"You don't believe me," the man says flatly. It wasn't a question.  
  
"I have been tricked once before. I will not fall for it again," Kurama's hard emerald eyes meet the man's violet orbs, "Prove to me you are Kuronue."  
  
Without hesitation, the man crouches down and pulls at his black pants, revealing six inches of his ankle in the moonlight streaming in from the open window.  
  
Kurama slants his eyes. Scars littered his ankle, and probably the rest of his legs, too, from the bamboo spikes that were rained down upon him. He guessed Kuronue fixed the clothes himself, but that didn't matter. It had been such a foolish thing to retrieve that pendant! Kurama gives a slight nod, but the man wasn't finished yet.  
  
He steps into the moonlight, and it was all Kurama could do to keep a shout of pure shock escaping him. His chest...right at his heart...there was a scar where he'd been pierced. His right shoulder bore the marks of the attack, as well as other parts of him. Over his right eye there was a particularly horrible scar, extending almost down to his chin. Kurama noticed right above that his hat had been sliced through.  
  
"Kuronue...how did you survive this? I saw...the blood...your heart," he makes a weak gesture to the mark on Kuronue's chest.  
  
"I didn't survive it. Koenma resurrected me. He said in turn for my life, I had to help the Reikai Tantei on a mission," Kuronue pauses, waiting to see his friend's reaction. When there was none, he continued. "That is how I learned about how you were nearly killed and fled to Ningenkai."  
  
"So what is it, Kuronue? Why did Koenma not send you to Yusuke's to tell him?"  
  
"Apparently, a thief isn't trustworthy enough," Kuronue smirks in amusement, "So I was not told. Not to mention this body is...a demo, you might say. If I do anything against Reikai law, I'm dead. Again. And until then, I'm being nailed down to this human city."  
  
Kurama chuckles at the obvious amusement in his bat friend's tone. He took it better than Hiei did, Kurama had to admit. The fire youkai was currently off in Makai with Mukuro, but he had previously been on probation and bolted down to this city also. Kuronue, on the other hand, seemed highly amused.  
  
'He never did let his pride get in the way before,' Kurama smiles, folding his arms.  
  
"So, Kuronue, I expect I'm to take on yet another youkai on probation?" Kurama teases.  
  
Kuronue chuckles, "I suppose so. Your dear toddler of Reikai also said he would like to see his Tantei in the morning."  
  
After a few more minutes of talking, both demons were tired. Kuronue decided to retire on the Minamino's roof, while Kurama, of course, went to his human bed.  
  
Translations:  
  
Reikai Tantei: Spirit World Detective/Investigator Youkai: Demon Ningenkai/Makai/Reikai: Human world/demon world/spirit world 


	2. The Mission

Well, thanks to everyone who reviewed! I didn't think this fic would get 7 reviews in two days, but it did, so yay! XD Oh, and a quick note to sakurasango: The proper spelling of Youkou is 'Youkou'. Because both 'o's in his name are long, you put a 'u' after each one. That's why there's no 'u' after the 'o' in Kuronue's name, cause it's short: Koo-rawn-oo-eh. :) The dub makes it sound long, but it's not. lol Anyway, enjoy chapter 2!  
  
-The Mission, Chapter 2-  
  
The next morning found Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara and now Kuronue in Koenma's office. The bat demon thief looked highly amused at the appearance of the great Koenma, even though he'd seen him before, it'd take awhile for the joke to get old. He couldn't help it! Think, a 700-yr-old toddler running Reikai! Thankfully, he was smart enough not to comment, but he did sense Koenma's slight irritation at the amused smirk on his face.  
  
Yusuke yawns hugely, the edge of his brown eyes watering slightly. He snorts in annoyance, glaring at Koenma, sitting in his big comfy red chair behind his desk. Saturday. Sa-tur-day. Definition: YUSUKE GETS A BREAK!  
  
Or not.  
  
Koenma immediately turns his attention on Kuronue, his right eye twitching slightly from the cocky bat demon's smirk. "Kuronue. Complete this mission, and that body is permanent as long as you do not break Reikai law. I cannot relieve you of the scars, I'm afraid."  
  
"That's fine," Kuronue says flatly. It didn't matter to him. The scars simply marred his appearance, toughening the skin they covered. They caused him no pain and did not hinder him. He was not about to complain for a purely aesthetic reason.  
  
Koenma nods. "Alright. Now, none of you should take this lightly. This is a serious matter, and involves both Makai and Ningenkai."  
  
He had their attention. Anything that threatened both worlds was nothing to shrug off.  
  
"A demon has been gaining power without our knowing. In fact, it was due to Mukuro's information we know about this at all," Koenma continues, "Hiei notified her right away, and thanks to him, really, we can nip this in the rear in it's early stages. He has the ability to mask his energy with such excellence, he appears powerless to others. Hiei's Jagan saw through this, luckily. So, your mission is an infiltration," Koenma glances at Kuwabara, "Kuwabara, I'm afraid you will not be going. You're needed in Ningenkai to notify me of any strong changes in energy."  
  
"Hey, but I wanna go-!"  
  
Kuwabara protests, but Koenma shakes his head and cuts him off, "I'm sorry, Kuwabara, but I need you in Ningenkai," the prince turns his head to a blue- skinned blonde-haired ogre standing next to him, "Ogre! Take Kuwabara to Botan so she can escort him back to Ningenkai."  
  
The Ogre nods, with a mumbled, "Yes, sir" leads Kuwabara out of Koenma's office.  
  
"The less people who know the details, the better," Koenma mutters more to himself than anyone, "So, like I said, it's an infiltration. You will be going to the Palace of Makai. There, the demon is building an army. You will train under him. Get as close as you can, and send all information to Mukuro. Hiei will be acting outside the walls as a messenger to relay the information between you and Mukuro. She will then relay it to me. This army, I assume, will need all of Makai's resources. Reikai's army is a backup just in case. I trust you and your judgment to tell you when to flee and stop the double agent act to fight openly on our side."  
  
Yusuke double-blinks. "Fight? Like, a war or something? It's that serious?"  
  
Koenma nods gravely. "I'm afraid it is, Yusuke. You, Kurama and Kuronue will be dispatched tomorrow. I suggest, Kurama, that you find a way to take on your full demon form and stay in it until further notice. You, being a famous thief, may have a hard time gaining their trust, along with Kuronue. However, your human form will make things worse. This demon has spies all over. It's not safe for you to be Shuichi Minamino in Makai. Now, Botan!"  
  
The blue-haired, pink-eyed and pink-clad ferry girl entity of death came bouncing into the office, cheerful as always despite the situation.  
  
"Botan, take them back to Ningenkai. Boys, I expect to see you early tomorrow. Don't pack anything. I'll be providing you with proper Makai garments and items tomorrow."  
  
They all nod and follow Botan out of the office, down to the human world.  
  
-End Chapter-  
  
Hope you liked it. It's about half as long as the first chapter, but it was supposed to be mainly about the mission and stuff. We'll get into the infiltration and actual mission soon, don't worry; I won't draw it out too long! XD 


	3. Preparation: Part 1

Again, thanks to all who reviewed! Especially to my faithful fans who've been here since chap 1! XD I'm so sorry it took so long to update, I had to rewrite this chapter THREE times before I was happy! I'm also working on another fic, an InuYasha one called Unexpected Gift, so check that out if you want.

Enjoy!

-Chapter 3, Preparation, Part 1-

"Kurama. Do you know how you're going to stay in your demon form?" Kuronue asks. He was sitting on Kurama's desk with his feet propped up on the redhead's chair.

"No…my first thought was the Fruit of the Previous life…however, that only lasted a little over five minutes the last time I used it, and there is not enough left to continually take it for a month, or even longer."

"If you were strong enough to take control of Youkou, would that work?"

Kurama nods, "Yes, but I do not see how I can do that in one night, Kuronue."

"I do. But what about your mother?"

Kurama raises a crimson eyebrow at the bat demon. "What about my mother?"

Kuronue shiftily diverts his violet eyes from the fox's unwavering emerald gaze. "If we make any noise, she'll get worried."

Kurama raises an eyebrow again, wondering what this "idea" of Kuronue's could be, but decides to trust the bat demon, like he always had. He gently reaches into his crimson tresses, pulling out a small, white seed. "Silverbelle. I'll grow this, and she'll immediately fall into a pleasant, dreamless sleep…" his eyes suddenly gained a haunted, dark look, as he stares at the beautiful seed in his hand, "I've used this many times before."

Kuronue doesn't ask why. He'd already seen the agony Kurama's nightmares brought him.

The fox's slender fingers give off a golden, ethereal glow, surrounding the pure white seed, making it shine like a piece of the purest silver. A pale green stem elegantly twists it's way out of the seed, a pale, silver blue bud forming at the tip. The closed petals seemed to sparkle softly in all colors of the rainbow, as if the light was reflecting off a diamond prism.

Kurama stands up gracefully and slowly, so as not to disturb the fragile flower. His light, quick steps echoed across the wooden floors, bouncing off the walls into Kuronue's sensitive ears. A few seconds later, Kuronue could hear the echoing footsteps again, though heavier, as if he was carrying a dead weight.

'He must have his mother's sleeping body', Kuronue thought, reaching out the open window and idly twisting a tree leaf, turned a dark emerald by the unlit blackness of the cloudy, velvet night.

He glances up as Kurama enters the room again, shutting the door behind him with a soft click.

"I have an idea of what you are thinking, Kuronue," he says softly, "Are you sure my human body will not emerge?"

"That's the point, Kurama. You have to fight it back."

Kurama felt a chill of fear shoot up his spine as he sits down on his bed again. He knew it was going to be painful…very painful…

He hoped he lived to see the daylight.

Fighting to keep his shaking hand steady, Kurama bends down and pulls open the bottom drawer of his nightstand. He reaches into the very back, scraping at the corners, until his hand clasped on smooth, cool glass.

"So that's it?" Kuronue nimbly jumps down off Kurama's desk, landing soundlessly on the hardwood floor.

"Yes", Kurama pulls the clear glass stopper off the small vial, the last of the potion that would turn him into Youkou Kurama. The tart, sour smell of the liquid invades both demons' noses, making Kurama wince and Kuronue step back, an eyebrow raised.

With a small shiver, Kurama lifts the vial to his lips, and drained the liquid. He coughs, placing the clear container on his nightstand. It tasted horrible.

"This vial will only last me twenty minutes, Kuronue," Kurama says, feeling the familiar, freezing sensation shoot through his veins, making him shudder. There was no blood-pumping fighting to keep the icy sensation at bay.

"If this works, Kurama, Youkou should want to stay of his own accord. You know he comes out during moments of extreme emotion…this will be one of those times. But to gain total control-"

"-I have to beat both of my sides, until my human form is powerful enough to control my demon blood."

Kurama suddenly lets an amused smirk play at his lips, shaking his head.

Kuronue raises a black eyebrow. "What is it?"

"I'm talking like a schizophrenic."

As he spoke, his voice was deepening, getting raspy and harsh. Cockiness Shuichi never would have used seeped into his voice, making him sound like a completely different person.

He was, in a way.

Pure, shining silver bled into his crimson locks, creating a startling combination of beautiful colors. His skin paled to an elegant, milky peach, his nails lengthening slightly, coming to dull points. Kurama glances up at Kuronue, a cocky smirk on his lips, his pale golden eyes shining with undying arrogance.

Suddenly an ice blue vapor envelopes the fox demon. Kuronue takes a few calm steps back as black lightning cracks, as if whipping the air. Billowing white clouds swirl in the opaque blue, misty energy, forming into the slender, white form of a beautiful fox. Eyes red, it lets out a piercing, bone-chilling cry, it's elegant head whipping around as its body darts forward, then disappears.

The rolling blue energy starts to thin, showing the outline of a tall, leanly muscled man. Youkou Kurama steps out of the mist, his loose white clothing billowing around his long legs, silver tail gently swaying behind him.

"Kuronue…" his deep, hypnotizing tones fill the small room like thunder, "I suppose we should begin."

-End Chapter-

Wow…I'm so evil…I ended my other fic's chapter in a cliffhanger too, but the ending sounds all dramatic, doesn't it? Don't worry, it won't take me very long to post the next chapter! I have the idea in mind already (I was actually going to put it into this chapter, but it was sounding really bad and choppy, so I cut it out and ended it), so it won't be long, and I won't have to rewrite it three times. I'll try not to leave you all at cliffhangers for awhile, unless it's absolutely necessary.


	4. Preparation: Part 2

Here's chap 4...enjoy.  
  
Note to Ookami Aya: I'm glad you like it. However, the person who told me this is taking Japanese lessons, and so far her theory has proven correct, in that 'u' makes an 'o' long, not simply drawn out (I'm not saying you're ignorant about the language, mind). Like I said before, both 'o's in Youkou are long, therefore a 'u' should be put after each one, 'Youko' would sound more like 'Yoh-kaw', or something along those lines – the last 'o' would be short, like the short 'o' in Kuronue is pronounced 'Koo-rawn- oo-eh', and like 'Kagome', since proper spelling is without a 'u', is more like 'Kagame' (from InuYasha) when you listen to the subs, but I'll ask my friend again just to make sure. So for my fics, it's going to be spelled Youkou for now. As for switching tenses...gomen, I didn't even realize I did that; I'll try to pay better attention. And also from now on, Saturday's a school day...man, I didn't know they went to school on Saturday, poor them...arigatou for the info.   
  
-Chapter 4, Preparation: Part 2-  
  
The rolling blue energy starts to thin, showing the outline of a tall, leanly muscled man. Youkou Kurama steps out of the mist, his loose white clothing billowing around his long legs, silver tail gently swaying behind him.  
  
"Kuronue..." his deep, hypnotizing tones fill the small room like thunder, "I suppose we should begin."  
  
Kuronue nods with a dark, grave look in his violet eyes. "Let's go to the backyard."  
  
They could easily wash away the bloodstains, then.  
  
Kurama nods silently. This had to be done if both sides were to be controlled fully. By taking the juice of the Fruit of the Previous Life, Shuichi was absorbing Youkou's power. But he needed real training to be able to control him, and vice versa. Shuichi Minamino could not ever show his face in this situation. The consequences would prove dire. From this point on, Kurama knew, he would be Youkou Kurama until the mission was completed. He'd leave a note for Shuichi's mother so she wouldn't worry before he left.  
  
--  
  
Kuronue pulls out his scythe, and begins...  
  
Youkou Kurama easily dodged the first few attacks, jumping and twisting with such incredible acrobatics it would make a gold-medal Olympic winner jealous. He landed softly on the grass, blackened by the moonless night, patches turned orange from the beams of the street lamps (a/n: if they don't have street lamps in Japan...they should, and they do now.).  
  
Kuronue beats his wings and hovers high in the air, unleashing merciless assaults on Kurama, who made no offensive moves; the training couldn't be postponed by attacking...he had to beat both his sides into submission.  
  
Hours passed. Youkou was soaked in his own red blood, panting, his silver lengths clinging to his fine, pale face.  
  
Finally...it happened. Startling red began to slowly bleed into the silver locks...  
  
"Kuronue!" Youkou snaps at him to attack again.  
  
With a perfectly executed jerk of his wrist, the bat demon's scythe rips through the air towards the fox.  
  
Adrenaline pumps through his system and blood red is taken over by silver...  
  
Hours passed. More attacks. More blood.  
  
Suddenly, a light blue mist of energy hovers over the fallen silver fox. A small cloud of gold appears, but the mist engulfs it, taking it over.  
  
Kuronue sighs with relief, landing soundlessly on the bloody ground. "You've done it."  
  
--  
  
An hour later, silver ears twitch, followed by the opening of cold golden eyes.  
  
Demons had an incredible capacity to recover. The wounds Kuronue gave did not threaten his major vital organs, but the blood loss, pain and energy used was enough to knock the fox out and beat both his sides into submission.  
  
Youkou Kurama raises a silver eyebrow, glancing around the room he was in. "So, it worked," he mutters, sliding off of Shuichi's bed, rolling up the white sheet that had been spread over the blanket, lest the bed get bloodstained, and stuffing it under the bed where Shiori wouldn't see it. Suddenly the sound of rushing water hits him. "Kuronue?"  
  
The sound was explained when Youkou got to the backyard. Kuronue had figured out the ningen water hose, and was washing the blood off the grass.  
  
Suddenly Youkou finds himself ice cold and coughing. Brushing a wet strand of silver hair out of his face, the fox sends a cold golden glare to the laughing bat demon.  
  
Kuronue smirks with a mock air of innocence about him. "You were covered in blood, what was I to do?"  
  
Before Kuronue could go on, Youkou raises a hand to quiet him, urgency in his posture. His silver ears twitch and swivel, fine-tuning the sound. He could faintly hear neighbors stirring...the sound of a coffee maker...  
  
"We should leave. Now," Kurama says briskly, "The humans are waking up."  
  
"Yes," all joking aside, Kuronue quickly coils up the hose and turns off the stream of water, "And I already wrote a note for your mother."  
  
"She knows my handwriting, Kuronue."  
  
"Doesn't matter. I found some school notes of yours and copied your handwriting...the human script is pitifully simple."  
  
Youkou smirks in agreement.  
  
--  
  
The two thieves easily dodge mortal eyes, speeding through the city and to the spirit world...  
  
-End Chapter-  
  
I don't think that was really a cliffhanger...after all, the preparation is finished, so, you can't yell at me. Yesterday my comp was acting up, or else I probably would've gotten this done sooner, gomen! Hope you enjoyed it. 


	5. Botan's Project

I checked my manga. The first 'o' in 'Yoko' had a over it, so, it's the only long 'o' in his name. Therefore, it will be Youko from now on. Yeah, I know you all were right, but hey, I'm too stubborn, gotta find out these things for myself. XD  
  
-Chapter 5, Botan's Project-  
  
The sea of oddly colored ogres didn't even acknowledge the two famous thieves striding down the dark hallway. They were busy running about, yelling on cell phones, yelling to each other, organizing paper and typing up reports. A few did give Youko Kurama strange looks, but they were too preoccupied for a second glance.  
  
They navigate the hall until they come upon a door, which they enter. They come into a brightly painted room, with a huge TV screen on the wall that would make any plasma short-circuit in shame. A large desk sat opposite said wall, with a huge, comfy-looking red chair about ten times too big for the toddler sitting in it.  
  
"Good...you two are here," Koenma said, an odd note of seriousness in his voice.  
  
Youko Kurama nodded silently as he swept a silver strand out of his face, a strand still cold and slightly damp from the soaking he got from Kuronue earlier.  
  
"Hey guys," Yusuke said casually as he glanced at the two thieves.  
  
Kuronue raised a black eyebrow as he gestures to the lump of cloth Yusuke was holding, "Your Makai garb?"  
  
Yusuke nodded, "That's what the toddler says, anyway. Look authentic to you guys?"  
  
He took the garment by the shoulders so the demons could see it full- length.  
  
It consisted of pale tan hakama that would clasp at his ankles, a white sleeveless hori and a brown sash. Kurama fingered the material. It was very light and airy, obviously very comfortable.  
  
"Yes, Yusuke. However, the demons will recognize the spirit det--," before the fox could finish, the door opened, and in came a blue-topped, pink-clad ferry girl.  
  
"I got everything!" she declared, holding up a small purple bag that looked suspiciously like it came from a human mall.  
  
"Ok, Botan...now what the hell is that?" Yusuke eyed the bag warily, as though it was an enemy ready to attack any second.  
  
"Don't be so apprehensive, silly! I'm going to demonize you!"  
  
Little too much enthusiasm there, Botan.  
  
"You're going to WHAT me?!"  
  
Youko and Kuronue watched with amusement as Botan opened her mouth, a finger raised, then suddenly she closed it again. Apparently, there was no way to make what was in that purple bag sound good. Finally, Botan sighed in an 'I-give-up' manner.  
  
"All I'm going to do is make you unrecognizable as the spirit detective, so the demons can't identify you," she said.  
  
Yusuke looked thoroughly horrified as Botan grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him out into a different room.  
  
--  
  
Who-knows-how-long later, Botan kicked open the door to Koenma's office, obviously pulling something very heavy into the room.  
  
"C'mon – Yusuke – you look – just fine!" she panted and leaned back on her heels to gain leverage, but the detective was a lot stronger than she was when he wanted to be.  
  
Kuronue's mouth suddenly twisted into a smirk, and a glint entered his deep violet orbs that Kurama recognized all too well...  
  
The bat demon strode up to the door and grabbed Yusuke's wrist. With his added help, the two yank Yusuke into the office, and all except Kuronue (who'd taken to the air) ended up in a tangled heap on the floor.  
  
Youko Kurama chuckled in amusement as Yusuke and Botan somehow untangle themselves.  
  
As the detective finally got to his feet, everyone finally got a good at him. His black hair had extensions added, making it a flowing shoulder- blade length, and it was also dyed a deep blue, almost black. He was wearing his Makai clothing, and Botan had even inked on the markings he got when he turned full demon. He was obviously wearing contacts because his red-brown eyes were now a grayish sea green.  
  
"The dye, the contacts, the hair extensions and the tattoo ink are all permanent!" Botan exclaimed proudly, gesturing to Yusuke as though he was a prize on a game show, "Well, until the mission is over," she added hastily at the look on Yusuke's face.  
  
"He looks authentic," Kuronue comments, landing soundlessly on the office floor. He was still smirking.  
  
"Yes," Youko Kurama said simply. He leaned against the office wall with a bored, emotionless expression.  
  
"Good! Now Yusuke, you've been to Makai before, just be careful you don't give yourself away. Use the name...err..." she glanced to Youko and Kuronue for help.  
  
"Hasaki?" Kuronue suggested. Youko nodded approvingly.  
  
Yusuke grinned, "Sounds good to me."  
  
'Hasaki' meant 'blade edge', so no one was surprised Yusuke was fond of it already.  
  
"Now that that's done with," Koenma said, sounding slightly irritated, "The portal to Makai will be ready in a half an hour. You'll leave from here. I suggest you make any preparations that can be done in that time frame."  
  
-End Chapter- 


	6. Forest of Darkness, Truth Revealed

-Chapter Six, Forest of the Darkness, Truth Revealed-  
  
"Well. Let's go," Yusuke jumped into the swirling portal, followed by Youko Kurama and Kuronue.  
  
Color whirled past them, dizzying the detective and the demons alike...up, down; side-to-side...no one had a sense of direction anymore. Even the fox's golden eyes were shut tight as his silver locks blew around his pale face. Kuronue's wings were flapping over-time, trying to keep himself upright...well; he thought it was upright anyway.  
  
This went on for what seemed like eternity, and both demons could clearly hear curses and death threats escape Yusuke's lips.  
  
"I'd rather be dead right now," Kuronue muttered.  
  
"I'm with ya all the way," Yusuke said, sending a glare to where he thought he came hurtling downwards.  
  
"Complaining will only make it worse!" Youko Kurama snapped, opening his golden eyes to send them both a cold glare.  
  
Finally, they landed with a thud on thankfully soft ground. Huge trees loomed over the trio, casting the ground into darkness. They could barely make out the closest objects. Which mostly consisted of dirt, tiny rocks and shrubs that hugged the tree trunks. A cold chill ran through Yusuke's spine as he stood on shaky legs, trying to take in his surroundings.  
  
Something about this forest didn't feel right.  
  
The landing had sent Yusuke and Youko to the ground, but Kuronue, thanks to his wings, was saved from such a fate.  
  
Kuronue grabbed Youko Kurama's wrist and pulled the fox demon onto his feet.  
  
"Yeah...I'd definitely rather be dead than go through that again," Kuronue said with an oddly sadistic tone as he landed soundlessly on the soft terra.  
  
Youko smirked.  
  
"Hey, where the heck are you guys? I can't see one stupid thing-!" Yusuke called, waving his arm in the darkness.  
  
"Yusuke!" Youko snapped, "Let go of my ear!"  
  
"Heh, sorry Kurama."  
  
"Kurama, do you know where we are?" Kuronue asked, "I've never been here before."  
  
"Kurayami no Mori," Kurama replied.  
  
(a/n: 'Forest of the Darkness' – Japanese sounds so much better than English, doesn't it? )  
  
"Sounds cheerful," Yusuke snorted, "Can you get us out, Kurama?"  
  
"Yes. It will take a few days, though."  
  
"A few days?!"  
  
"That's what I said, Yusuke."  
  
"Well...can you at least make one of your lampweed things?"  
  
Youko swept his hand through his shining silver tresses, and tosses a seed onto the ground. A thin green stalk shot up three feet, and three yellow, tulip-like flowers bloomed. Light spilled over the area, and Yusuke swore he heard groans from the dark depths of the trees.  
  
"It's a lot brighter when I'm in my demon form," Youko explained to the slightly surprised look on Yusuke's face. The last time Yusuke had seen the lamp weeds, they were a foot tall, and the flowers had simply been large, yellow glowing buds.  
  
--  
  
Night had fallen, plunging the forest into total, impenetrable darkness. The light from Youko's lampweeds was now illuminating a smaller space, as if the evil darkness was fighting against it, pushing it back.  
  
Youko and Yusuke were asleep, but Kuronue was pacing, muttering to himself.  
  
He felt something strange...odd...and it had nothing to do with the forest. As if he had a specific purpose...something Koenma hadn't told him...he couldn't stop thinking about it in this ringing silence. He shook his head and rubbed his temples, his wings flexed behind him restlessly.  
  
Suddenly, his hand shot to his neck, as if in a trance, his violet eyes widen slightly.  
  
The pendant...why did he go after it? He always felt a power rise within it at times of great emotion for him...Kuronue's father had given it to him on his deathbed. But that wasn't it. And he wasn't power hungry.  
  
Somehow, that pendant had a connection directly with him...and here in the Makai, he felt it stronger than ever.  
  
"I hope this won't complicate our mission," he muttered softly.  
  
-End Chapter-  
  
You're not gonna find out the 'secret of the prettyful red pendant' for awhile, so don't hold your breath. It's all part of the plot. 


	7. Breaking Light

-Chapter Seven, Breaking Light-  
  
Youko Kurama yawned, flashing needle-sharp fangs in the dimming light of his lampweed.  
  
He raised an eyebrow at Kuronue. He was wide-awake, leaning against a tree.  
  
"Did you get –any- sleep?" Kurama asked as he pushed himself into a sitting position.  
  
"Not really."  
  
The bat demon was fingering his collarbone as if something was supposed to be there. Something that he needed.  
  
"Kuronue?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Your pendant is lost. Do not obsess over it."  
  
It had been years to the fox since Kuronue lost his precious red gem and died. However...to Kuronue, it seemed like yesterday, after dying and being resurrected, his memory didn't have a chance to dim that moment. To make him forget about it.  
  
Kuronue nodded slightly, "I know. I just can't stop...it's as if I'm not allowed to forget."  
  
Youko Kurama slanted his pale golden eyes in concern. Not allowed to?  
  
'This does not bode well,' he thought.  
  
He'd always wondered why Kuronue went after that pendant. They had the Adversity Glass...a mirror that allowed you to spy on your enemies. That pendant hadn't shown any powers whatsoever, but Kuronue had held onto it like his life depended on it.  
  
How ironic...it was the very thing that ended his life.  
  
Yusuke stirred, groggily sitting up. He rubbed his head, feeling the extensions to his dark hair. He snorted when he remembered it was deep blue now.  
  
"So...foxboy...we're not gonna get out of this hellhole for a few days?" he asked.  
  
Kurama nodded, "That's right, Yusuke. You're going to have to be patient."  
  
Right...patience...something the detective positively overflowed with.  
  
Not.  
  
He snorted again and stood up.  
  
The lampweed cast a bright golden glow on all three demons (one not-so- demon), and none looked very cheerful. Kuronue and Youko Kurama stood.  
  
The fox bent over and plucked a fourth flower from his lampweed, one that had formed in the night. It was still only a round bud. It's light would last longer. The rest of the plant dimmed into nothingness, until the only light was the small bud Kurama held.  
  
"Quickly," Kurama said briskly, and the other two followed him.  
  
--  
  
As they trekked through the pitch-black forest, groans and rustling in the dense foliage were hard to miss.  
  
"Kurama, what the hell is making all that creepy noise?" Yusuke spat, glaring into the darkness, almost daring a demon to jump out and attack him. It'd be good to lash out at something and release his anxiety, anyway.  
  
"Be quiet, Yusuke. They're low-class demons...probably hungry. They know we're much stronger than they are, so they're not attacking just yet. Waiting for the right moment to pounce, I assume," Kurama said casually.  
  
"Wonderful," Yusuke said sarcastically, "Y'know, you're reminding me way too much of the ferry girl."  
  
Kuronue glanced down at Yusuke from his height a few feet in the air. "At least I'm not whacking you over the head with an oar."  
  
Yusuke slanted his grayish sea green eyes (courtesy of the contacts, remember?) at the bat demon. "Would you if you had one?"  
  
"Depends."  
  
Youko Kurama snorted at the senseless conversation, which was obviously started just to give the detective something to do. He held the lampweed – which had flowered over the past few hours – in front of him, occasionally whipping it around to illuminate a suspicious smelling dark spot in the forest.  
  
His wings slightly sore from flying, Kuronue gently lands on the soft forest terra beside Kurama.  
  
"There's more to this mission than the toddler told us," he said in a low tone.  
  
"I agree."  
  
"I'm still wondering why he resurrected me...you and Yusuke are probably powerful enough to complete this mission."  
  
"Yes, I wondered that, too, but I wasn't about to question it," the fox smirked, "Are you tired of life already?"  
  
"Of course not. But there's something Koenma isn't telling us."  
  
"Yep, he has a tendency to be vague about some things," Yusuke grinned and sharply tapped Kuronue on the shoulder.  
  
Said bat demon growled under his breath.  
  
"He's right, Kuronue. Koenma has sent us into missions without giving much detail. Such as with Sensui, I had to corner him to get the additional information, that he was a former detective," Kurama said calmly.  
  
Yusuke glanced over to Kuronue, a much more serious look in his eyes, "So you're thinking there's more to this than meets the eye?"  
  
Kuronue nodded, "Exactly."  
  
"Brat," Yusuke spat angrily.  
  
Kurama smirked again, "Agreed."  
  
--  
  
They'd traveled for two days in mostly silence, only speaking occasionally, and it was usually random conversation brought up by the bored Yusuke. They were attacked several times, but it only took one of them to take down an entire gang of the low-class demons that lived in the forest. They took shifts at night to make sure their camps weren't attacked without them knowing, but after the first few blood baths the demons seemed to wizen up about attacking them.  
  
Kurama had taken along several different seeds that produced edible fruit. Some of them were demonic, and left them full for hours. Needless to say they were well nourished, but didn't eat much.  
  
Youko Kurama paused, sniffing the air, "I recognize that scent...it's the Palace of Makai. Only a few more miles. Hurry!"  
  
Ad hurry they did. They were all thoroughly sick and tired of this pitch- black forest and were all too eager to get out. But they knew better than to run. The huge trees' roots would snake along the ground, and hump up to trip an unsuspecting victim. Their branches would sometimes smack them in the face, even though they hadn't seen anything in their way. Yusuke swore the creepy trees were alive, but Kurama explained they did that to any newcomers in the forest. Then again, the greenery hadn't assaulted the fox at all, which didn't surprise anyone. Hell, they didn't even know if the forest WAS green...it could be purple for all they knew, but it was so dark, and Kurama's lampweeds cast such a yellowish glow, it was impossible to tell.  
  
So they walked as swiftly as possible while keeping their eyes on the path and the trees, making sure they did not walk where Kurama's lampweed hadn't illuminated. The fox knew where to go to get them out by scent, otherwise they probably would've been wandering around for a very long time until one of them caught an energy signal from something outside the forest.  
  
Finally, light poured in in front of the group.  
  
"Man! That burns like hell!" Yusuke said angrily, shutting his eyes tight against the glare and stumbling backward.  
  
Youko narrows his golden eyes to a squint, fanning his pale hand in front of him to block out the assault on his eyes. "We've gotten used to being in darkness...the light basically shocked our eyes," he explained.  
  
Kuronue pulled the brim of his tattered hat over his violet eyes to shade them. "We're out of the forest, though."  
  
"True enough," Kurama said, lowering his hand. His eyes were used to the light now, if not a little sore.  
  
Yusuke blinked rapidly to get his eyes used to the light as they exited the forest.  
  
"Yes...now we can get on with this," Yusuke said, smirking.  
  
-End Chapter-  
  
Finally...it's up! XD Hope y'all liked it. It was a bit boring, but the storyline would suck if I rushed into it, so.   
  
I have a small favor to ask you guys: I've been looking for at least two weeks for Mukuro's song, Rebirth Saisei. PLEASE, I'm begging you guys, if any of you know where I can download that song, or have it, please email kuramarosesyahoo.com contact me on AIM/AOL at The Deserts Song, or, MSN messenger at KurayamiBaramsn.com I have a bunch of YYH and two Hunter x Hunter songs I could trade you if you want, but I'm really desperate for this song. Also if you have Youmi's song, I'd appreciate that, too. Arigatou in advance! 


	8. Fire n' Ice, Lead the Way

-Chapter Eight, Fire n' Ice, Lead the Way-  
  
Streams of random curses rolled off of Yusuke's tongue as the trio looked out on the barren landscape. He saw no palace; no ricocheting beam of light that said a shining building was near by. And he remembered Kurama saying something about the Palace of Makai being sheeted in gold.  
  
"Ok, where to now?" Yusuke asked, glancing at Kurama and Kuronue.  
  
Kuronue raised a brow, "I really haven't a clue. Never been to this part of Makai before."  
  
"Some thief," Yusuke muttered.  
  
"I heard that, delinquent!" Kuronue snapped, cuffing him on the back of the head.  
  
"Be quiet!" Kurama said sharply, glaring at the both of them.  
  
We all know Kurama's glares – human or not – could freeze hell over twice. And that is why Kuronue and Yusuke were quiet...for the moment.  
  
Kurama shook his head, sniffing the air. His silver ears twitched and churned, taking in every sound and detail of the now-mountainous terra. He didn't smell or hear anything suspicious, or out of the ordinary...for Makai, anyway.  
  
The terrain now was certainly a shocker from the dark vegetation of the forest. Barren and rocky, it was obvious they were in some sort of mountain range. The only trees they saw were the human equivalents to pines, although their black needles were tipped with blood red.  
  
"Stay away from those," Youko Kurama gestured to the pine-like trees, "Their needles siphon out your blood."  
  
Yusuke rolled his eyes. "Great, just what I needed, blood-sucking pine trees."  
  
Kuronue smirked, "That's why Kurama doesn't complain about his powers."  
  
Kurama smiled slyly. "True enough."  
  
--  
  
The semi-lightened mood didn't last very long as they trekked through the mountains. After about half a mile, Kuronue suddenly said he recognized this place, and Kurama agreed with him that they were in the Sanmyaku Aka (Bloody Mountain Range).  
  
"Just as cheerful as the Kurayami no Mori," Yusuke spat sarcastically, "Hey, Kuronue," he said suddenly, his tone now curious, "How'd your memory suddenly click or whatever?"  
  
"I've been in the foothills. The Kurayami no Mori is actually a forest on the mountains, someplace I never went. I recognized the black arrows."  
  
"Black arrows?"  
  
Kuronue nodded, "Their needles lock onto a vein and suck the blood dry, even if they're plucked off the tree. So, they're commonly tied to the tips of arrows. The arrow goes in, so does the needle, and it starts siphoning out the blood. Sometimes clusters of them are packed tightly together and tied to a stick without an actual arrowhead."  
  
He didn't deem it necessary to go into gory details...such as, the black arrows feed off of blood, but when a needle is plucked, it simply siphons it out, and the blood is drained out of the other end of the needle. Like a hollow tube with no cork in either end.  
  
Yusuke nodded silently. It reminded him of Kurama's blood-sucking plant.  
  
"Be silent," Kurama suddenly hissed.  
  
Kuronue and Yusuke immediately snapped their heads around to look at him. The fox was resting on his heels, low on the ground, his sharp golden eyes darting watchfully every which way, his ears flicking and swiveling nonstop.  
  
Kuronue looked at Kurama with a 'what is it?' expression on his face.  
  
The fox mouthed "a friend" and smirked.  
  
Kuronue had seen –that- expression before. He nodded and leveled himself with Kurama, gesturing for Yusuke to do the same.  
  
Suddenly a patch of black appeared, as if materialized from nothing, and disappeared as quickly as it came. Even Kurama and Kuronue, well-trained demons of experience and age, couldn't get it to focus...but a certain fox and the detective knew who it was anyway. Said fox just wanted to have some fun first.  
  
--  
  
Hiei zoomed across the mountains, his black boot-clad feet barely skimming the rough ground flying by in a brownish blur underneath him. Black, brown, dark greens...a whole myriad of earthy tones blurred and swirled together as he put on the speed, going all-out. His purple Jagan was open and glowing an icy blue, the white bandana he used to cover it with clutched tightly in his hand.  
  
The world, though blurred by his speed, was seen perfectly in his demonic eyes. He could make out almost every tree and rock, and this is how he knew to stop as the trio he was looking for came into the sight of his normal eyes. The Jagan had seen them back at Mukuro's.  
  
He raised a black eyebrow. The detective and his friends had "disappeared"...hiding somewhere, obviously. He snorted. The fox knew it was him...by scent alone, he knew the fox knew he'd been coming, even if his speed was too great for even them to see. He'd improved greatly under Mukuro's training, and only she had recently been able to lay a hand on him.  
  
His form came into focus and he casually clasped his hand behind his back. What were those three planning...  
  
Suddenly he heard a lurch from behind him, and instinctively shot away from it. But as soon as he stopped, something grabbed his hands and pulled them behind his back.  
  
"FOX!" he snarled. The vines binding him burst into flame and fell to the ground as ash half a second after.  
  
A very amused-looking Kurama emerged from behind a cluster of trees (not the black arrows).  
  
"Hello Hiei," he said calmly, sounding completely innocent.  
  
Yusuke and Kuronue came out a second later, the detective grinning like mad and the bat demon smirking with his arms folded across his chest.  
  
Youko Kurama's silver tail swished behind him, and his eyes suddenly hardened seriously. The fun was over now. "What are you doing here? Koenma said you'd be acting as a relay between us and Mukuro."  
  
"I am. But you've been out of the Makai for too long, Kurama. I recently scouted out the area and found a shortcut to the Palace of Makai," Hiei said, "So follow me."  
  
Kurama slanted his eyes. His demon blood told him 'No!'. –He- was the legendary thief, who knew his way around Makai like the back of his hand.  
  
Mind you, he still did, but it sounded like Hiei had found a short route from –this specific point-. It would be wiser to follow him. Pushing his pride aside, he nodded. "Hurry!"  
  
Kurama, Kuronue and Yusuke took off after Hiei, none of them able to completely keep up with the hybrid's speed, but keeping good enough pace they covered incredible amounts of ground in very little time.  
  
The mountain range flew past. Vicious plants reached out, trying to curl themselves around the detectives' ankles, wrists and necks, but all that happened to them was they got sliced or blown up.  
  
/It's odd, Kurama/ Hiei suddenly said through telepathy.  
  
Neither stopped running.  
  
/The fact we haven't met any demons?/  
  
/Yes. No doubt you fought some in the forest. I see and smell the blood on you three./  
  
Kurama, Yusuke and Kuronue had occasional splotches of demon's blood on their clothes because of all the fighting they did in the forest. Hiei may not be an animalistic demon – meaning Kurama's senses were much sharper than his – but any C class demon and up can smell blood, even if it's dry.  
  
/True. I expect you have a theory, Hiei? You have been surveying this land before this mission started./  
  
/They're not bothering with us. They're flocking to the Palace. The fools don't want to work for their power, they want it free. Only a few were strong enough to resist./  
  
Kurama nodded. Very few demons would give up the chance to join an army under such a powerful leader.  
  
Yes, he already assumed this demon to be very high-class. For who else could threaten both the Makai and Ningenkai, and have King Enma rounding up an army?  
  
And Kuronue was acting strangely. Constantly fingering his collarbone and muttering in his sleep. Kurama knew something was wrong, and it had nothing to do with this mission. Kuronue was resurrected for a specific reason, and to know that reason may prove the downfall or success of this mission.  
  
-End Chapter-  
  
Sorry for not updating in so long. I'm trying as fast as I can, and my mind just can't come up with exciting chapters. But these build the plot, without these chapters, the storyline would be rushed and finished in 5-10 chapters. So! This story may take the longest to update. It's the most complicated plot I have going so far, and I'm still working some of it out. So I hope you enjoy.   
  
On another note: I finally found Rebirth! is happy It's a really good song...Mukuro is a really good singer, and she has such a pretty voice. It's really deep, but still feminine, kind of edgy. Fits her personality well (from what I know of her). 


	9. Shot Down

**_Sorry for not updating...but! I finally have a real plot for this story! -tosses up random confetti and blows noisemakers- YAY! So I hope you enjoy!_**

**Chapter Nine, Shot Down**

They were still a day's travel from the Palace.

Hiei snorted lightly, wrapping the smooth white bandanna around his closed Jagan. His calloused fingers worked smoothly behind him, quickly tying the soft fabric into what only could be described as his own take on a quick-release knot.

His boots crunched the dry, rocky ground as he drew his knees up to his chest, leaning his back against the thick tree behind him. His blazing crimson eyes traveled lazily around the makeshift campsite, pausing for a moment to rest on each of his traveling companions.

Youko Kurama was out cold, in the same position as Hiei, leaning up against the trunk of a tree right across from the demon hybrid. His head rested on his chest, his long, shining silver tresses falling elegantly over his face and chest. A fire crackled and sputtered flaming sparks in the middle of their small clearing, casting ever-moving shadows over the kitsune's partially hidden face.

Then there was Kuronue, proving his bat demon blood, sleeping in a large tree, riddled with long, thick leaf-covered branches. He was almost invisible under the cover of the dish-shaped leaves, only his leathery black wings stood out enough to distinguish him from the dark foliage. Yusuke was right below the bat demon, using his folded arms as a makeshift pillow. Hiei snickered as a strand of the fake deep blue hair fell into his eyes, and he fought to bat it away with small groans, still asleep.

So...he, Hiei, was the only one currently awake. It was his turn on watch, being as Kuronue had taken the last shift.

He snorted impatiently, glaring at the black, starless sky. Even the moon was hidden tonight...

It would be Youko's turn in about an hour. Hiei closed his crimson eyes...not in sleep...a translucent, icy blue glow gathered in an oval around the center of the white bandanna.

His eyes suddenly shot open without warning. Nothing...he'd seen nothing around their camp. Not even the normal low-class animalistic demons that naturally lived in these parts of the Makai, who were even too simple-minded to have any real murderous intentions.... they ate, they lived, they bred, they slept, they died. Just like ningenkai's animals, only more vicious and deadly. Some had the potential to grow into higher-class demons, though.

His calloused hand wrapped possessively around the shining silver blade at his side...usually when nothing was happening, something was about to blow up in their faces...

But nothing happened. An hour later, Hiei prodded Youko awake with the tip of his sword, earning himself an icy glare from those hard amber eyes.

"Hn. It's your turn," Hiei said dully.

Youko snorted, "I gathered _that_."

Sweeping the fallen silver tresses out of his pale face, Youko Kurama stretched out his long legs in front of him and shifted against the rough bark of the tree. It scraped uncomfortably at his back, which was almost bare due to the simple clothing he always wore.

He sighed, bored, and folded his arms in front of his chest, his amber eyes focused on the dancing, crackling flames as his silver ears twitched and churned at any and every little noise...there was disturbingly little activity...anywhere. The wind rustled the trees, sometimes sweeping across the ground to upset small rocks and twigs, creating small, crackling, snapping and clicking noises...but nothing else. No small demonic birds shifting in their nests, not even the little Haneaka, tiny hummingbird-like birds that liked to suck the blood off the tips of the Black Arrows, which they had an odd immunity to.

_(Haneaka – bloody wing)_

He didn't like it. His animalistic instincts were telling him something was wrong, very wrong. In three hundred years in the Makai, Youko Kurama had never been in such ringing silence. A feeling of foreboding hung over the area, as if daring them to come any closer to the Palace...

Well, he never was one to turn down a challenge.

Sighing, the fox glanced up at Hiei; now dead asleep in the tree he'd been sitting under during his watch, his sword wedged in between two branches for quick access.

His ears swiveled as a piercing cry shot through the ringing, dead silence of the night...

A hawk! In the dead of night, no less.

Youko stiffened, his amber eyes scanning the pitch-black sky and trees, thick with leaves and branches...he heard a rustle of wings somewhere, as the hawk must've taken off.

He sniffed the air, and his eyes slanted.

"A hawk from the human world..." he mused quietly to himself, "What could such a creature be doing in the Makai...?"

It was too suspicious. A ningen hawk suddenly shrieking out of nowhere, after a long, ringing silence...and still there were no other creatures around. How the hawk even survived the Makai was a mystery.

Suddenly, his sharp vision caught a white patch in the black sky. He snorted lightly, casually reaching into his long silver locks and removing a blood red rose.

He got to his feet, paused to take aim, and with a perfectly executed crack of the rose, now a long, green whip, another shriek was heard as the thorns sliced into the thick feathers of the hawk. Youko jerked the bird to the ground and bent down to examine it.

It was dead, that much was certain. So much blood stained its sleek, smooth feathers it was near impossible to tell what color it used to be. Its head was half-decapitated, it's dark eyes clouded over with death. The large wings hung at odd angles off the breastbone...overall, it was not only dead, but the thorns had mutilated the animal.

"Ah...now what's this?" Youko smirked as his eyes fell on a glaringly white roll attached to the bird's leg. He carefully slipped it out of its bindings and unraveled it.

_Out of the forest. Sanmyaku Aka. Silver kitsune, bat demon, Mukuro's lover, and unknown. Powerful, take precautions._

Youko stared at the minute writing, small to save space on the tiny piece of paper. He flipped it over to make sure nothing was written on the back before studying the handwriting.

"So it's you then?" he muttered softly, "I thought as much."

He rolled up the paper and stuffed it into the white sash tied tightly around his waist. If he thought correctly, they had a spy on their hands, and if they could catch him, his information would be indispensable.

_Interesting that he did not refer to me by name...he obviously does not want to reveal his previous affiliation with me to his new master..._

Kicking the mutilated corpse of the hawk aside so it wouldn't start to fester and stink in their campsite, Youko took to pacing around the small camp.

"Kurama."

Youko stopped his pacing and turned to look at Kuronue. He jumped down from his tree, landing lightly and silently on the rocky mountainous terra.

"What was all that screeching? It sounded like some sort of bird."

Youko nodded, "I caught a ningenkai hawk relaying messages. Look at this," he reached into his sash and pulled out the small piece of paper.

Kuronue's violet eyes widened slightly as he read the message. "So we're being followed?" he snorted, "So much for our infiltration."

"Yes. There is a zero percent chance now we will be able to get close to the demon behind all this."

"So...we go in the old-fashioned way?"

Youko smirked, "Precisely."

"How did he hide his energy, though?" Kuronue asked.

"Koenma told us the demon organizing this army has the ability to mask his aura completely. Therefore, he must have taught the technique to this underling of his," the fox held up the paper to emphasize his words.

"He must have stayed downwind to hide his scent," Kuronue said, Youko nodded in agreement, "These guys are clever..."

* * *

****

"KOENMA SIR!"

"WHAT?!" the reikai prince shrieked at the ogre running into his office.

"Botan has just delivered her report of the human world," the ogre slapped the paper onto Koenma's yellow desk, "and it says Kuwabara has detected some weird things going on."

Koenma nodded curtly and started scanning the paper, his brown eyes jumping up and down with the letters.

"Dark clouds only he can see...foreboding presence...strange energy signals..." Koenma muttered aloud.

"So what is it, sir?" the ogre asked cautiously.

"It means, ogre, that this demon's army is getting stronger. Yusuke better hurry up before he attacks the ningenkai! The human world can't stand up to this sort of power, not even if a world alliance was formed!"

"So is it hopeless, sir?"

"OF COURSE IT'S NOT HOPELESS, YOU IDIOT! NOT AS LONG AS YUSUKE, KURAMA AND KURONUE GET TO THE PALACE AND KILL THIS DEMON OFF!"

* * *

****

"Great...so new plan?" Yusuke asked bitterly. He glared up at the steel gray sky, and wished a certain _fox_ had let him sleep in awhile. He was even too pissed off to comment about the message referring to Hiei as "Mukuro's lover".

"Not yet. Not until we know more, which may prove difficult, being as our infiltration plan has been shot down," Kurama said.

"What about catching more of their messenger birds?" Yusuke asked.

"That may be possible, if the demon at the Palace sends another one."

"Kurama..." Kuronue smirked, his violet orbs meeting the cold amber ones of his partner. The fox nodded silently, as if they were each thinking the same thing...and Yusuke was left completely confused.

"What the heck's going on?"

"Simple!" Kuronue said, "We capture the one bird the demon from the Palace sends, and copy the handwriting off the note Kurama has to send one back to him."

"It's an easy case of forgery," Kurama said calmly, "And we may be able to catch the spy...no doubt he's around here somewhere."

"Couldn't he hear us then?" Yusuke asked.

Kuronue shook his head, "If they were close enough to hear us, we'd know where they were."

"Wait..." Yusuke pointed his finger at the bloodstained ground where the hawk had crashed to earth, "you killed off their hawk. How's the Palace going to send a message back?"

"They're not stupid," Kuronue said flatly, "They'd have several hawks ready. It's only logical human ones like that would die easily, so we probably didn't even raise suspicion."

"It's decided, then," Kurama said matter-of-factly, "We hunt for the spy while waiting for the return hawk."

And if that spy was who Kurama thought it was...all the better.

**End Chapter**


	10. Kyou

**I LIVE!**

**Yep, I haven't died or quit on My comp was on the fritz, so I couldn't do anything, turns out we got some sort of virus and we had to wipe it clean. I got to burn my stuff, but I can't use any of it till the CDs are scanned for viruses. I don't even have my fancy Microsoft Word, this is being done in plain old Wordpad. -- So anyway, enjoy this chap!**

**::10::Kyou::**

_What?! They're...gone! Where are they?!_

Panic began swelling in his stomach like a balloon as adrenaline pumped hard and fast through his veins.

_Not good, not good, not good!_

Maybe he should run. Yes, run right back to his master...he'd be safe at the Palace...he wouldn't be able to get him there!

His feet pounded against the hard, rocky mountains as he ran. He ran as fast as he could, ignoring the burning, numbing feeling running up his legs as he relentlessly pumped them to go faster. Trees flew by like evergreen cloth lost in the wind, but his fearful black eyes were fixed straight ahead. He musn't let anything distract him! Not a demon, not another one of master's hawks...if that's one thing he'd learned, it was that distractions got you killed. Pausing for even a millisecond could let..._him_...catch up.

His heart pounded hard against his ribs, reaching it's limits. His muscles screamed at him to stop, to take a rest, in the form of a burning chest and numb limbs, but still he ran. Better to be unconscious at safety, at the Palace, then be in his hands.

'He' had every right to be angry, too. The running man had betrayed this 'he' a long time ago...and 'he' was known for taking revenge...sweet, deadly, revenge.

And there was three others to worry about, too! So powerful their energies were as intoxicating as the strongest alcohol.

But he'd have to stop soon...his body would make him stop...what if he fell unconscious, right here, in the mountains? He'd be vulnerable to even the lowest class of creatures...

Not like many of those were around anymore, though.

So he chanced it. He paused, remaining stock still, listening for any minute sounds his enemies might make....maybe their scent would float to him on the wind...maybe a flash of silver in the dark trees...

Nothing.

He breathed a sigh of relief, smiling, and decided it was safe to rest a little longer. He flopped down on the rocky ground, ignoring the tiny stones pressing into his sweaty bare arms and neck. His black eyes close contentedly...his master would be so pleased with him when he returned.

"Have I taught you nothing?"

The familiar voice shocked the man like a live wire as his comfort was replaced with gripping fear. Fear for his life...fear of the pain that was undoubtedly coming...

"Kyou!" his name was spat like a bad taste in the visitor's mouth, forcing him to stand up and face the enemy.

Long, shining silver tresses fell elegantly over the man's shoulders and cold amber eyes were carved into the pale, smooth face like the most wanted jewels that no one will ever own. Silver fox ears sat atop his head, currently pointed forward, straight at Kyou.

"Y-Youko-sama!" Kyou stuttered, staring wide-eyed at his former master.

"You're surprised, are you not?" Youko smirked in amusement at Kyou's shocked expression, "After all...I'm supposed to be dead..."

His tone was deadly low, making sure that Kyou heard every word...that he knew what was coming.

"That's right!" Kyou sighed with obvious relief, making Youko slowly raise a slender silver eyebrow, "You're dead! Just a ghost! You can't hurt me!"

Youko let a wicked smile grace his lips, exposing one pure white, needle-sharp canine fit for snapping bones in half. "I assure you..._I am alive_...and I certainly _can_ hurt you," he chuckled darkly as he finished, fixing Kyou with a cold amber stare.

Kyou began sputtering in fear. His overexerted heart began pounding even harder and his legs felt like lead. That was a threat, and Youko's threats were never empty.

**-(that's right, scene switch! mwhaha! XD)-**

"You sure this is a good idea?" Yusuke asked. Worry was evident in his tone, making the bat demon above him sigh with disbelief.

"You have known Kurama for two years, and yet you still think he can't handle this?" Kuronue challenged.

"Well...I know he can, but..."

Kuronue shook his head, "You're overprotective of him. I assure you, he has done things more dangerous than this on his own."

"Usually Kurama wouldn't go after anybody without checkin' them out first. So does he know this guy?" Yusuke asked.

"Yep. I think he was a former subordinate of Kurama's."

"Former subordinate?" Yusuke echoed, confused.

Kuronue nodded, expertly leaping from his perch in a tree and landing silently on the ground beside Yusuke.

"Watch it!" Yusuke snapped, even though he knew Kuronue was skilled enough to avoid landing on him.

Ignoring the comment, Kuronue turned his deep violet orbs to meet Yusuke's.

"Former subordinate," the bat demon began, "as in 'underling'. Koenma said that, after my death, Kurama organized a band of thieves. Before Kurama left, he said this spy was a former subordinate of his."

"Oh," Yusuke blinked, "Wow, Kurama really did go all the way with the pro bandit thing, huh?"

Kuronue nodded, "He was the best, Yusuke, and he probably still is, if he ever chose to live back in the Makai."

--

"You c-can unders-stand, Y-Youko-sama-"

Youko's wicked smirk became wider, exposing both deadly fangs as he idly ran his tongue over them. "Now, Kyou..." he chuckled darkly, "what is there to understand? It is simple: you betrayed me."

"I-I'm s-so-"

"Do not apologize!" Youko snarled, his calm, deadly demeanor gone, "You are a worthless coward, a fool I should have left to die...however, you are of use to me now..." the fox smirked again, his calm countenance returning disturbingly quickly.

Kyou blinked. He'd only known Youko for a month, and still couldn't figure it out: was he bipolar, or did he just have incredible control over every little emotion? Deciding the question irrelevant for now, he settled for faking a confused look. He knew exactly what Youko wanted.

"Do not try to fool me, Kyou," Youko said evenly, his cold amber orbs flashing dangerously.

"I don't kn-"

"I can smell when you lie..." Youko's voice was deadly soft and low, sending shivers up Kyou's spine. His mind screamed at him to run, to get away, but he was frozen to the spot. His heart pounded faster, his breathing suddenly became ragged and shallow. This was past terror...he was petrified of the fox demon standing before him, a fox demon with enough power to wipe him off the earth with a flick of his wrist.

Youko smirked at Kyou's behavor. He'd forgotten how enjoyable it was to play with weakling's minds...

"So, you'll come with me, Kyou, and maybe I won't kill you," Youko's long, slender fingers absently twisted strands of his silver hair, threatening to withdraw a deadly blood red rose.

Kyou shook his head wildly, his black eyes widening with oncoming insanity as his mind tried to overcome the terror gripping him. "No! My master will come and obliterate you all!" he shrieked, before pivoting on his heel and taking off with adrenaline-fueled speed.

Youko's long, muscular legs propel him effortlessly after his former underling. His soft slip-on cream shoes made no noise on the rocky mountain terra...he practically flew as he ran, his long silver locks flying out behind him like a shining banner. His ears were pinned back, smooth against his skull as he ran, with Kyou close in his sights. Youko put on a short burst of speed, ramming right into Kyou's back, knocking the demon to the ground.

Kyou landed hard on his chest, the impact knocking the wind out of him with one sharp breath. Youko kneeled on his back with one leg, his knee digging hard into Kyou's spine, the other leg on the ground, Youko's arm propped up on his bent knee.

"You come with me now, or you die where you lie," Youko said flatly.

"F-fine!" Kyou stuttered.

**::End Chapter::**

**I didn't like this chapter for some reason...but I promise I did my best...sorry it was so short, I couldn't keep track of pages on Wordpad. -- **


	11. Old Rivals, New Problems

**::11::Old Rivals, New Problems::**

Kyou landed hard on his chest, the impact knocking the wind out of him with one sharp breath. Youko kneeled on his back with one leg, his knee digging hard into Kyou's spine, the other leg on the ground, Youko's arm propped up on his bent knee.

"You come with me now, or you die where you lie," Youko said flatly.

"F-fine!" Kyou stuttered.

The kitsune let a small, satisfied smirk grace his pale features as he roughly gripped the collar of Kyou's tattered brown shirt, forcing the youkai to stand. His legs shook uncontrollably under him, barely able to hold his weight as Youko nearly dragged him along the mountain path, back to Kuronue, Yusuke and Hiei.

By the time they got to the makeshift campsite, Kyou couldn't take it anymore - he was simply exhausted, and collapsed to his knees as soon as the the other three youkai were in view. His chest heaved with every heartbeat as he fought for breath, though his troubles went ignored by the kitsune who still kept a tight hold on his collar.

"Here is the spy," Youko announced bluntly, giving Kyou a little shake to emphasize his words. This rattled the youkai's mind, sending the world spinning as blood suddenly rushed to his head. A sharp kick from Youko to the back brought him back to reality, but he felt like wretching right there. Luckily, he was able to supress this and stay conscious at the same time.

Hiei snorted lightly at the pathetic demon, jumping down from his perch in a tree thick with green leaves, crossing his arms over his muscular chest. His blood red eyes showed mild amusement, anger and disgust all mixed together in a swirling mass of fire...the penetrating, calculating gaze made Kyou shiver in Youko's grip, causing a dark chuckle to escape the kitsune's lips.

The scarred bat demon stood up and slowly approached his fox companion, bending down on one knee to scrutinize his prisoner. Shaking his head, his silky black locks fanned out over the wide, tattered brim of his hat as he laughed softly. "His you-ki is pathetic! Kurama, I ask you, why did you ever allow this weakling in your presence?" his laugh grew a bit stronger as his deep violet orbs rose to clash with amber, "My death couldn't have grieved you that much!"

"You're dead, too?!" Kyou shrieked, his pupils dilating to the size of a pencil tip from the fear running through him again. Were these youkai immortal?

Wait...the one with the navy hair...he was not a youkai. Not a pure one, at least. Or...was he?

Kuronue burst out laughing at the demon's fearful statement, standing to his boot-clad feet and folding his bare, muscular arms over the black vest that covered his chest. He shook his head again and leaned against the tree behind him, fixing Youko with a humorous stare.

"At least I don't fraterinize with half-breeds!" Kyou shot back, completely humiliated by the bat youkai's outburst of laughter. And in front of the legendary spirit fox! Kyou could deal with grudges being held against him for past misdeeds, but being down trodden like that...that was way over the top. Despite his traiterous behavior, he highly admired and respected the King of Thieves, which, he realized, was why he wanted him dead so badly...he couldn't stand looking up to someone like that, and felt if he could find a way to get a rid of him, he was, in some way, superior.

But the kitsune had found a way around death, and so apparently did this bat demon, judging from his previous statement.

Kyou turned his head to meet blazing sea green orbs. The half-breed was giving him a glare to match the short demon's fiery red eyes, and his ki was flaring, though invisibly, it could definitely be felt.

"Yusuke..." the name was spoken softly, intent on calming it's owner. Kyou glanced up at the kitsune who spoke what must be the half-breed's name, surprised such a deadly creature could speak so soothingly. For a split second he swore those cold amber orbs flashed a deep, beautiful emerald green as the two syllables were said.

Yusuke took a deep breath as he fought to keep control of his ki. With the you-ki floating in the air in the Makai, his own you-ki was unburying itself and trying to take over his spirit energy...as a result, his temper flared more easily, making him overreact to comments such as "half-breed".

_Guess I better get used to it_, he decided.

Technically, he wasn't a half-breed but a full youkai...when he came back for the second time, he came back like Raizen, ie, a youkai. However, his blood was also human, which made him a half-breed. It was all rather confusing and contradictory, and Yusuke didn't like to deal with such things, so he labeled himself a half-youkai and was done with it.

"Kurama, do I really have to keep this stupid getup on?" he asked, changing the subject abruptly.

Youko glanced at his friend and shook his head, "There is no need for the wig and contacts now. They know we are here, thanks to this low-class pawn. Knowing the spirit detective is after him may at least make their leader hesitant to attack."

A confused Kyou watched as Yusuke practically tore off the navy wig, running a hand through his own short black hair to unflatten in. Next came the contacts, carelessly tossed onto the ground and revealing dark chocolate brown eyes. They had a slight red tint, and an ever-present glint that just dared you to throw a punch. Typical street kid look, though Yusuke had the power to back himself up.

"Anyhow..." Kuronue finally broke the silence, glancing at the rest of the group, finally landing his amethyst orbs on Kyou and smirking, showing off glinting pearl fangs. They looked longer and sharper than Youko's, making Kyou flinch.

Taking the visual cue of a slight nod from Youko, Hiei withdrew his sword and approached Kyou with slow, threatening steps.

"Now..." he said slowly, swiftly flipping the katana in his grip so the tip pressed up against their prisoner's chin, "tell us about your master. His powers, his weaknesses and his strengths, the army he is building and his power source."

Kyou defiantly snapped his mouth shut, refusing to say a word.

Youko bent down on one knee to be at Kyou's eye level, "You remember when I caught you, Kyou? I said I _may not _kill you...I suggest you not jeopardize your chances of possibly getting out of this alive..." he whispered the statement so low and quiet the black-eyed prisoner strained to hear...but he caught every word.

"We are all skilled in the art of torture, you weakling, so start talking!" Hiei snarled, deeping the impression his sword was making in the demon's tanned skin.

Kyou gulped, supressing a shriek of fear as he felt the cold steel of the hybrid youkai's katana press harder on his chin. "Fine..." he sighed, trying to calm himself so he didn't stutter and sound more like the fool this group made him out to be, "my master's name is Yakumo-sama."

Everyone but Kuronue's eyes went wide.

"Yakumo?! That bastard is still alive?!" Yusuke shouted angrily, his brown eyes flashing as he fixed Kyou with a penetrating glare, "You better not be lying...!"

"I'm not! Yakumo-sama _was_ nearly killed. He risked using almost all of his life energy to heal himself and was able to flee to the Makai...I think your Reikai classifying system would have ranked him as a lower D-class at that time. But he gained power, and found a ruby pendant near the Palace of Makai -"

"A ruby pendant?" Kuronue tried to keep the shock out of his voice, but it seeped in as emotions flooded through him. Desperation was the strongest, it told him to run to the Palace now and get the pendant - reason, however, was much stronger, and Kuronue gained his composure after a brief moment of losing control.

Youko eyed his bat youkai friend with worry distantly etched into his cold amber eyes - he shouldn't be acting like this. The pendant had never caused a loss of control like that - he got a little touchy if Youko had ever asked to handle or look at it, but nothing like the brief display just shown.

"Interested, are you?" figuring he had the upper hand now, Kyou tried to look as deadly as possible while on his knees, not an easy feat, and not one he really accomplished all that well, "Well, if y-"

"I am NOT in a bargaining mood, Kyou!" Youko snapped, on his feet in an instant to deliver a powerful kick to Kyou's lower back, "And you are in no position to start making offers. Tell us what we want to know, _now_."

Hiei's sword hadn't moved from it's dangerous position, pointed up Kyou's chin, and he increased pressure for a split second as a warning.

"Yakumo-sama wears the pendant, it keeps him alive. He says he's draining the ruby of it's power, and when he's finished he will need it no longer. He said he will be invincible if he absorbs the pendant's energy! We're stationed at the Palace of Makai, but you probably already know that from your Reikai files or something of the sort...the army he is building consists mainly of low to middle class youkai, and they are all under his power once they enter the Palace. The pendant has hypnotic powers, anyone wishing to join and get a portion of Yakumo-sama's power must succumb to it."

"Is that all we need to know?" Youko addressed the entire group, smirking wickedly. He received three nods as an answer, and roughly bent back Kyou's neck so the demon's black eyes were now staring up at him.

"Now that you have given us the information...we do not need your master coming after us," he said slowly, raising his amber eyes to gaze at his companions for a few moments.

"Hn," Hiei smirked, "yes, our job would be made much more difficult to have Yakumo on our backs."

Withdrawing his katana, he plunged it swiftly through Kyou's heart. The blow was so fast, no sound was uttered from Kyou's lips, but his eyes were wide and blank with the shock. Blood flowed like a waterfall from his chest, spilling down his front in torrents and splashing to the ground. Flecks of the crimson liquid splattered messily onto Hiei's pale face, perfectly matching his blazing crimson orbs. Unfazed by the gorey display, Hiei withdrew his katana and sheathed it, not bothering to rid his face of the bloody specks.

"Ok, now we know who we're dealing with," Yusuke got to his feet and stood beside Kuronue, "we can kick his ass."

**::End::Chapter::**

**Short, I know, forgive me, but I liked the ending right there. It's Yusuke's trademark line! XD**


	12. Destination Break

**::12::Destination Break::**

"That's it?"

"Yes…the Palace of Makai."

"You can feel the you-ki emanating from it…"

The bat youkai's leathery black wings folded tightly against his back as he stole a glance at Kurama, Yusuke and Hiei. Swatting a few pitch-black strands of hair from shading his amethyst orbs, he felt his body tense with growing apprehension. He could tell his other two companions were feeling the same way; they were three against an army.

In the far distance, settled in an unearthly-looking bamboo forest, sat the grand Palace of Makai. The stonewalls were sheeted with pure gold, reflecting the sunlight like a mirror as the many youkai wandered around it. Most seemed to be training, with weapons like swords, spears…err…big energy blasts…

"They all have similar energy signals," Kurama pointed out, "we can safely assume they are all deriving their power from Yakumo."

"So if we take out their ring leader they all go down?" Yusuke asked, turning his head to look at the kitsune.

"Not necessarily. They will not die, but instead go back to their original power class."

"It still means Yakumo's our only target," Kuronue stated, "We just have to get past the guards."

Kurama nodded, "Exactly."

"Hn…" Hiei suddenly spoke up for the first time in hours, "so I suspect you have a brilliant plan, thieves?" he smirked.

"Not really," Kurama said bluntly, "First we need someone to cover the perimeter of the Palace so we have a good idea of the guards' positions."

"Fine," Hiei nodded, and before anyone could blink he disappeared in a barely visible flash of black and white.

"Once Hiei comes back we can devise a strategy for entering the Palace unnoticed."

……

Several hours later, Hiei returned with the information the thieves and detective needed. Kurama and Kuronue, with some help from Hiei, worked on the breaking-and-entering plan while Yusuke kept an eye on the guards below for any suspicious activity.

"Kuronue. With Yakumo using the power of your pendant, what can we expect?" Kurama asked, sweeping a silver strand of hair out of his sharp eyes to look at his partner.

"Yakumo probably does not know how to use the stone properly. Only a descendant, or trainee, of my great-great grandfather can wield it without side effects," the bat explained, "I wasn't even able to wield it properly. _He_ shouldn't have access to its energy."

"So you don't know what sort of power he can wield now?"

"Right."

Kurama sighed, closing his amber orbs as he leaned against the trunk of another tree. His silver bangs swung smoothly back into place over his eyes as he let his head roll to the side to look at his partner again. "You know these odds are against us, Kuronue. Without a basic understanding of his abilities we have very little chance of winning…"

"I know. I suppose we'll have to wing it once we get inside."

"Yes," sighing again, the kitsune turned his sharp gaze to Yusuke, looking bored as he watched the demonic activity below, "Yusuke! Come here, you will need to know the plan before we execute it…"

……

_WHAM!_

A pale fist made hard, silent contact with the skull of a green-skinned demon. Said unconscious creature was quickly dragged into the trees, and nobody was the wiser.

Kuronue's pitch-black wings fanned out behind his lean, muscular form as he rose into the dark Makai sky, his narrowed violet eyes scanning the ground below for his next ambush victim.

From his vantage point, he could see a silver sheen amongst the yellow-green bamboo poles, but only because he'd been specifically looking for the kitsune. Anyone else would never have noticed.

Pumping his leathery wings, Kuronue soared smoothly through the windless night, almost perfectly blending in with the black, moonless sky above. His hawk-like violet gaze caught movement below, and he immediately swooped into a perfect dive, aiming a well-placed kick to the other youkai's neck below. Hearing a satisfying crack that said a neck had been snapped in two, he quickly pulled out of the dive and glided a few feet, before rising steadily upwards again on a warm column of air.

"Last one," he muttered to himself, confirming that his task was done.

Watching the ground below intently, he hovered in mid-air, making long, slow pumps with his wings.

Suddenly the quiet scene on the ground erupted into chaos.

"Over there! INTRUDER!"

"Those two have ambushed us!"

"MOVE OUT!"

"There it is…!" zooming like an airborne torpedo, the bat youkai cut through the air with amazing speed. The actual Palace was just yards ahead…

Finally he reached the roof, unnoticed, making a smooth, silent landing on the shiny stone surface of the Palace roof.

"So gullible," a deep, smooth voice echoed from behind him.

"True," smirking with satisfaction at the flawless ambush, Kuronue turned to meet the steady amber gaze of Kurama.

As if a silent cue had been issued, the two thieves ran to the edge of the roof and looked down at the side of the Palace.

"There's a window," Kurama pointed to a dark opening in the shiny stone a few feet to their right, and hoisted himself over the edge without hesitation, quickly followed by Kuronue.

Keeping a firm grip on the edge of the roof, the two thieves edged their way along the side of the Palace, easily finding foot holds where the old stone had eroded away, taking the gold sheeting with it. Once they reached the window, their feet perched on the top that jutted out of the side of the Palace, they let go and expertly jumped down, so they were resting on the windowsill with their hands gripping the top of the window.

Sliding in, they silently landed on the dull stone floor.

"I can smell him, that way," Kurama took off at a silently, swift run down a pitch-black hallway, with his bat partner closely in tow.

……

"_REIGUN!_"

_WHAM!_

Several youkai guards met their deaths as they slammed up against various thick bamboo trunks, their spines snapping in two like dried up winter twigs.

Smirking, the wielder of said reigun cockily crossed his arms over his chest, glancing sideways as the sound of metallic clashing reached his ears.

He watched as Hiei's sword collided with his foe's, easily flinging the sword out of the other youkai's hand. It went flying in a graceful arc, before landing somewhere in the bamboo forest, probably caught up between several stalks.

Hiei made a swift swipe at the guard's head, decapitating it without trouble. Blood splattered his smooth, pale face again; he made an absent wipe at the specks with his black-cloaked arm before sheathing the weapon.

"So that's it?" Yusuke approached the shorter youkai, scrutinizing the bamboo forest as if it was the reason the fights had ended so soon.

"It seems so. I guess Yakumo didn't want to waste his power on these foolish guards…they must not be a part of his _real_ army," Hiei said briskly.

"Well, now that their asses are kicked, let's go back up foxboy and batman," Yusuke took off at a run to the now-deserted front of the Palace, making wild swipes at the bamboo that got in his way as he ran.

Hiei snorted at Kuronue's new "nickname" before disappearing after the detective, easily zooming ahead of the teen and slicing any bamboo stalks that got in his way.

……

"Do you think the commander was foolish enough to send all of his guards after Hiei and Yusuke?" Kurama inquired of Kuronue curiously, getting bored after running down several pitch-black passages. It was odd; they hadn't run into one single member of Yakumo's army.

"I hope so," was the bat's reply, "they can probably get through any that stayed back, though."

The rest of the passages were run through in total silence as the two thieves prepared to confront a force completely unknown, with Yusuke and Hiei struggling to follow their footsteps not far behind.

**::End::Chapter::**

**Five pages…well, next chap a bunch of real action starts, so get ready! This is getting easier to write as I go along so expect possibly sooner updates from now on…hopefully…**


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